It was a perfect ending to a three-year journey of heartbreaking defeats. After finishing runner-up two years in a row, Kittens with Mittens felt there was no way they were going to let opportunity slip out of their hands again. However, after dominating the regular season, Corporate Thugs was not going to let it be an easy game.

With a small, but loud fan base, Kittens got off to the perfect start. Eamon Washburn snatched the ball from midfield, darted past a defender and put a shot on goal. Despite the keeper’s excellent reaction, the keeper could not keep hold of the ball. Seth Beaureguard followed up with the easy tap-in goal. Used to being the better team, Corporate Thugs did not have a lot of experience playing from behind. They did not help their cause when they conceded a sloppy second goal four minutes later. Travis Reed put in a teasing corner and, after Thugs failed to properly clear the ball from the box, Steven Coutts tapped in the defected clearance from five yards out.

Despite the two-goal disadvantage, Thugs still had their chances. With a push from Travis Parsons and Brett Stearns, Thugs managed to pull off a couple shots that were only a few feet from goal. Stearns made penetrating drives from the deep midfield position, but after exerting all his energy dribbling past the Kittens’ defenders, he only managed a weak shot on target. Despite a half full of chances for both teams, Kittens finished with a comfortable two-goal advantage.

Coming out of the break, Corporate Thugs looked determined to make up their deficit. With some slick one-two passing, they started to force the Kittens’ defenders on their back heels. However, the Kittens managed to withstand the five minutes of pressure with some game-saving clearances. While suppressing the Thugs’ attack, the Kittens managed to counterattack a few times with Beaureguard and Coutts both having one-on-one chances with the keeper. However, these attempts failed to put the ball in the back of the net.

With 10 minutes left in the game, the Thugs started to look desperate. Several Thugs started taking shots from 30 yards out. With their opponent apparently rattled, the Kittens decided to press forward. With a tireless effort on the wings from Pamela Angel, Maryann Tiago, Hannah Kotoski, Justina Smith and Julie Kochan, the Kittens managed to put in several dangerous crosses. It only seemed like destiny that there was a goal from a cross. Washburn put in a telling cross to the front edge of the penalty box and Reed scored with a half-volley from the top of the box. It could be considered a 'goal-of-the-year' contender based on all the things that needed to go right to see that perfect of a play. With seven minutes left and a three-goal gap, this game seemed all but over.

Despite a three-goal deficit, Corporate Thugs did not sit around and admire the beauty of the last goal. Within 90 seconds, they managed to score their first goal through an unassisted effort by Brian Stapleton. Quickly after the restart, Kittens tried to restore their three-goal advantage with two consecutive shots on goal, followed by a teasing shot off the post by Coutts. 30 seconds later and desperate for a goal after having several assists, Washburn stole the ball from midfield, out-dribbled the entire defense and comfortably finished to the left of the keeper to make the score 4-1.

Getting desperate, the Thugs decided to switch goalies and have a female goalie to have four males in the field with only three minutes left. Their desperation also showed with Josh Wright trying an ambitous back heel volley from 20 yards out that went over goal. With an attacking formation with only one defender, Thugs kept pushing forward, but yet again got caught on the counterattack. Washburn managed to score a goal after a deflected clearance from a Thug defender, with the assist going to Angel’s noggin'. With 90 seconds left, the Corporate Thugs managed to pull closer through a Parsons goal. However, it was a little too late as the whistle blew with final score of 5-2.

After two years of being runners-up, the victory tasted so sweet to the players of Kittens with Mittens. “I wanted the champion t-shirt for soooo loonnng!!” one player exclaimed.